J. J. Watt joins defensive great Lawrence Taylor as the only other player to be named the NFL Defensive player of the year for the third time. Watt who only seems to improve with every season was ranked #11 in the 2011 Draft class which was packed with immense talent and ironically included (Super Bowl 50 contenders) Cam Newton (Panthers) and Von Miller (Broncos) ranked #1 & #2 respectively. Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, in 2013, talked about JJ. Watt’s performance as a defensive lineman being the best he had ever seen. “I was a 2-star recruit coming out and now I have three (Defensive Player of the Year) awards. So … screw all of you guys for doubting me.” Watt said after receiving his award. Watt finished the season with 17.5 sacks and a bevy of hits, tackles, and blocks. Watt’s stellar defensive performance surely attributed to getting a struggling Texans team to the playoffs in spite of the rocky start to the season.
